‘We can’t let them insult China’: Pro-Beijing lawmakers stage walkout at LegCo, postponing swearing in ceremony for rebel councillors

The second swearing in ceremony for Youngspiration lawmakers Sixtus ‘Baggio’ Leung and Yau Wai-ching, has been postponed after pro-Beijing councillors staged a walkout.

The walkout was in protest of Leung and Yau’s first attempt at their LegCo oaths, which saw the two pro-self-determination politicians display banners reading “Hong Kong is not China” and pledging allegiance to the “Hong Kong nation” last Wednesday.

According to the SCMP, veteran pro-Beijing lawmaker and former Secretary of Security Regina Ip said, “We can’t let them insult China without apology”.

Leung responded that he wouldn’t apologise, and reportedly said, “Let them be stupid”.

Local media outlets reported that both Leung and Yau had referred to China as “Shina” in their English oaths, which was apparently a Japanese wartime insult.

Yau was additionally heard pronouncing “the People’s Republic of China” as the “People’s Re-fucking of China”. She and Leung later said the discrepancies in their oaths were due to their accents.

LegCo’s new president, Andrew Leung, allowed the pair to re-take their oaths. Government lawyers filed an injunction against Leung’s decision, saying in a writ that the pair “manifested an intent … that they did not intend to make the Legislative Council oath or be bound by it.”

The injunction was rejected, although High Court Judge Thomas Au did approve the government’s request for a judicial review of the incident.

Related articles: 

Rebel Hong Kong lawmakers challenge China at LegCo swearing in ceremony

Hong Kong fails to delay pro-independence lawmakers from taking office
 


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